I shake my head.
"Then his name suits." He places the frame back in its rightful spot before twisting his torso to face me. "Even when their opponents are ten times their size, Isaacs never stay down. That's why I arrived at Substanz tonight: to lessen the big guy's kick."
He jerks his chin to the business proposal he handed me earlier. “I’ve been watching you for a while, seen the hard work you put in, and that’s why I want you to be a part of my empire.”
Usually, I'd be freaked at a guy admitting he has stalked me, but Isaac doesn't give me the creep factor. He's stern, has a way with words, and looks killer-fabulous in his three-piece suit. “Creep” is not a word I wouldeveruse to describe him.
"I'm not planning to study criminal litigation. My focus will be fixed on business mergers and acquisitions. Nothing against you, but from what I saw tonight, I doubt my skill set could be useful to yourbusiness.” My voice dips toward the end of my comment. “You are here for my knowledge, aren’t you?”
This time around, when he chuckles, I don’t hold back my retaliation. I punch him so hard, my knuckles throb. “For a guy who looks suave, you need to up your suaveness. This is the third time tonight you’ve insulted me.”
My stern tone halts Isaac’s laughter. "I insulted you? How?"
"First, you didn't glance at my ass in my practically non-existent leotard when I dove through the chained fence. Second, your hands stayed far away from my womanly curves when you carried me upstairs. And last, but not at all least, you laugh at the thought of us getting naughty without our clothes on. My ego hasn't been this bitch-slapped since Lenny Moron declined my invitation to dance because his mom told him only good girls go to heaven, and supposedly, there were no spots for me since I like sticking my tongue down boys’ throats!"
Isaac nearly laughs again, but my vicious glare stuffs it back into his throat. “Do you want to know why we haven’t gotten ‘naughty’?” His tone is smoother than his wrinkled brow.
I nod, desperate to discover if I lost my mojo somewhere between Substanz and here. That is the only plausible excuse for his shortage of interest—surely! I don’t have tickets on myself, but I don’t lack confidence either.
I stop seeking blemishes in the mirror when Isaac explains, “One, as much as the female population disagrees, men’s eyes don’t pop out of their head as they do in cartoons. Your fine ass was the first thing I noticed about you. Doesn’t mean I tripped over my tongue on the way out, though.”
His reply makes me smile.
“Two, you just witnessed the shooting of three men.”
I nearly correct him that it was only two until he quickly reminds me of the sniper his sidekick took down.
“And three. . .” He leans close, aligning his unique-colored eyes with mine. “Cormack has often told me to go fuck myself. I never thought it was possible until I found you.”
I angle my head to the side, more confused than ever. “Huh?”
“You’re driven. Beautiful. Don’t stay down when shoved in the gutter.” He glides his hand down the front of his body. “You’re just missing somevitalorgans.”
I fake a gag. “So you’re saying I’m you, just with female bits?”
“Yes,” he answers without delay.
“As in, like a sister?”
Isaac purses his lips. “If I had one, I guess so?”
“That’s disgusting.” This gag is for real.
After taking a few seconds to settle my flipping stomach, I lift my eyes to Isaac. “Drive like mine doesn’t come cheap. If you truly want me to become a part of your empire, hit me with your best offer.” When he attempts to interrupt me, I continue talking, stealing his chance. “But cut the bullshit. We dodged enough landmines tonight; I’m not up for a second run through the gauntlet.”
Knowing my time at Substanz has ended should render me meek, but unfortunately for Isaac, my daddy is the bartering king of our town. His love of negotiating was one of the many things he passed down to me: that and his adoration of wickedly mouth-burning wings.
“My contacts had Dwain released from custody without charges—”
“Yes, that is true. But we discussed his release during our drive. That means it’s not a part of our current negotiation,” I interrupt.
The glare Isaac gives me would make grown men quiver in their boots, but it excites me more than it scares me. Not sexually. The more I think about it, the more what he said rings true. We are very similar. He reminds me a lot of my younger brother, Ayden, just in a more mature, refined way.
"There is a compensation package included in our agreement." He flips over the contract until it stops at a figure well above the standard pay rate of a twenty-two-year-old up and coming law student. "I require exclusivity. You cannot work for anyone but me. The amount cited is negotiable, although you don't seem the type driven by money. If you were, you would have been offering your services tonight for real. There is a lot of money in the prostitution market."
Half of what he is saying is true. I’m not driven by money, but the needs of my family are. “Before I can agree to anything, I need you to be aware I’ll require three years’ salary in advance. I also have no conflict with your exclusivity clause as I can’t work for you, attend law school, and maintain a fulltime job at the same time. It isn’t possible.”
I expect Isaac to glower, laugh, or at the very least, pack up his shit and leave. He does no such thing. He just snaps his fingers together two times, wordlessly demanding his companion bring over the suitcase he’s been clutching the past two hours.
